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Embracing a world record

'Twas the month of love when a flock of loved-up couples gathered in Darling Harbour to take part in Durex The Great Embrace - an official Guinness World Record attempt for the world’s longest hug.

The rules were pretty simple: no sleeping and no letting go (unless it was during a designated 5 minute rest break) for at least 25 hours, 22 minutes and 36 seconds. Easy, right?

We recruited Kerri-Anne and John Kennerley to cheer on the lovers and after a long 26 hours and 5 seconds, seven couples became world record holders but just one pair walked away with the $20,000 diamond ring.

A sudden-death tiebreaker ensued and it was Lisa-Jayne Clarke and Adam Tyndall from Brisbane who brought home the bling… but will he put the ring on it? Stay tuned!

And the winner is...

It was all eyes on Milan, as Rahul Mishra, representing India, was announced the winner of the 2013/2014 International Woolmark Prize.

After a global search spanning 20 countries and involving over 48 designers, five talents reached the final round:  ffiXXed (Asia), Christopher Esber (Australia), Sibling (Europe), Rahul Mishra (India) and Altuzarra (USA).

Rahul Mishra’s winning Merino wool collection was based on craftsmanship and his incredible knowledge of techniques and embroidery.

In his touching acceptance speech Rahul said: “I have already pinched myself more than a hundred times, I still feel as though I’m dreaming. “

Watch the beautiful final video here.

A little country jaunt through Freycinet

Imagine walking out of your luxury suite at Saffire Freycinet, to be greeted by a friendly face and escorted on your very own journey of self discovery at the historic Oyster Bay. Sounds pretty good, right?

Saffire has launched a complimentary new experience down in Tasmania - Connection to Country. Guests can take a stroll with resident indigenous guide Mick Quillan to discover the history of the Freycinet area.

We are happy to tell you more about how this place has knocked our socks off several times over. Check out the website if you want to make your own escape.

Syfy channel gets the star treatment

The stars aligned earlier this month as NBCUniversal hosted a dinner of intergalactic proportions to welcome the Syfy Channel, Australia’s new home of science fiction and Fantasy.

The picturesque Aqua Dining restaurant in Milsons Point was the launch pad for the evening as a star studded line up transported themselves for an evening of fine dining and fine company. Grant Bowler, star of hit TV series, Defiance, took time out from his frantic schedule to welcome in the new channel.

NBCUniversal’s Vice President of International Television (Australia and New Zealand), Chris Taylor officiated the evening and timed a speech perfectly as the sun went down and the stars came out.

The Syfy Channel is aired on Foxtel on channel 125.

Win a Uluru adventure

Great news for those with wanderlust or wanting an inspired Uluru read. @exploreuluru are giving away a copy of solo traveller Robyn Davidson's novel ‘Tracks’ on Instagram - signed, sealed and delivered!

To enter, simply follow @exploreulu, repost this photo on your Instagram page and in the caption answer the question “Who would you take to explore Uluru and why?” with the tag #tracksuluru. A pinch.

In the Know

  • LinkedIn has finally added the ability to block and report members from viewing your profile - a feature that has long been adopted by other social media sites. In addition, new detailed analysis on who has viewed your LinkedIn profile has arrived: you can now see profile visits over time as well as visitors' industry, geographical regions, professions and employers. 
     
  • Since being acquired by Facebook, Whatsapp has announced that it will be rolling out a voice calling service later this year, which will no doubt create some serious competition to similar voice calling apps like Viber, Skype and LINE.
     
  • Facebook is trialling a special 'Highlights' feed that focuses on major life events and cuts out the more banal day-to-day status updates. Read more about it here.